Trump is trying to fire a railroad regulator who protects Iowa interests
After our state awarded its electoral votes to President Donald Trump for a third time, you’d think he wouldn’t stab Iowans in the back like this. In case you missed it, last month the president attempted to fire U.S. Surface Transportation Board member Robert Primus without cause. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is the nation’s independent agency in charge of regulating certain interstate transportation matters, namely, the nation’s railroads.
Primus is the only current board member of either party who has consistently stood on the side of Iowa’s farmers, small businesses, and workers.
You wouldn’t be faulted for assuming that’s one of the reasons why Trump first nominated Primus to the board in 2020. Or why Primus was unanimously confirmed by a Republican-led Senate, why he was later renominated by President Joe Biden, and why he was again unanimously confirmed — this time by a Democratic-led Senate.
But even one independent-minded board member who dares to defy Wall Street calling the shots in government is one too many in the year 2025. And that’s exactly why Primus is being targeted.
A little over a month ago, rail giants Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific announced their plan — subject to Surface Transportation Board approval — to achieve what even the rail barons of the Gilded Age couldn’t. They’re seeking to form a single rail behemoth controlling coast-to-coast shipments for the first time in history.
Primus previously stoked Wall Street’s ire when he was the only board member of either party to oppose the merger of rail giants Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern in 2023 due to concerns over excessive market power, degraded working conditions, depressed wages, and threats to organized labor, among others.
More recently, Primus defied Wall Street once again to stand with Iowans. In January, the STB greenlit yet another giveaway to Big Rail at the expense of farmers, small businesses, and workers as it gave permission to Canadian National to take over the Waterloo-based independent railroad, Iowa Northern Railway.
Iowans (myself included) had written to the STB to raise concerns about the deal’s likelihood of leading to higher costs, lower wages, poorer service, and hollowed out communities. Others like the National Grain and Feed Association, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 431, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised similar concerns.
When no one seemed to listen to these concerns, or even care, Primus did. It’s no surprise then that he would go on to be the lone dissenting voice in opposing that merger. And with that kind of record of doing what’s right, this is how he’s being rewarded. Not with praise for having the courage to go against the wishes of Wall Street, but with an illegal pink slip that will be challenged in court.
Fortunately, a coalition consisting of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, the SMART-TD union, the Open Markets Institute, U.S. Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, and Pat Ryan of New York; U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Peter Welch of Vermont; and more, are all speaking out in favor of the rule of law and against the attempted firing of Primus. Good for them.
The time is now for Iowa candidates and elected officials of both parties to join them. Primus has proven himself a good man who has refused to be bought and has consistently used his power as a public servant to stand on the side of everyday Iowans and Americans. The least we can do is stand with him now.